Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham must ensure that as part of their Catholic teachings, values and virtues are now a key focus. The values and virtues show how pupils are growing in their faith as well as how schools help their pupils to grow. Schools can really emphasise a particular pair of words throughout a half term. Each half term the focus will change. It is the intention that across the whole of the Archdiocese , schools will focus upon the same pair of virtues at the same time. This will enable us to share ideas and resources and strengthen our common bond. 

We are proud at Our Lady Of The Wayside to work in partnership with families and parish to promote and teach children about the Gospel Values.

The Gospel values are:

• Service
• Truth and Justice
• Forgiveness and Mercy
• Purity and Holiness
• Faithfulness
• Tolerance and Peace
• Sacrifice
• Humility and Gentleness
• Dignity and Compassion
• Integrity

Catholic Pupil Profile

Pupils are growing to be:

• Grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, now and in the future.
• Attentive to their experience and to their vocation; and discerning about the choices they make and the effects of those choices.
• Compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words.
• Faith-filled in their beliefs and hopeful for the future.
• Eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world.
• Learned, finding God in all things; and wise in the ways they use their learning for the common good.
• Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better.
• Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and prophetic in the example they set to others.

Schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham help their pupils grow:

• By encouraging them to know and be grateful for all their gifts, developing them to the full so that they can be generous in the service of others.
• By promoting the practice of attentive reflection and discerning decision making: in teaching, in the examen, prayer and retreats; and through the practice and example of school leaders and staff.
• By being compassionate and loving in the way pupils are treated, especially when a pupil is in trouble; and by opening pupils’ eyes to those who suffer poverty, injustice or violence.
• By passing on the living and faith-filled tradition of Jesus Christ; by having persevering faith in the pupils, and by encouraging them in turn, to have faith and hope in themselves and others.
• By developing an eloquent language which pupils can use to understand and articulate their emotions, beliefs, and questions, encouraged by the example of their teachers to be truthful in the way they represent themselves and speak about the world.
• By the breadth and depth of the curriculum; by excellence of teaching, and the creation of opportunities to become more learned and wise.
• By leading pupils to be curious about the universe and all human activity, and to take increasing responsibility for their own learning, and by providing opportunities for them to be active in the life of the school, the Church, and the wider community.
• By being a school community which is intentional in its way of proceeding to build-up quality of life; and which is prophetic in the way it offers an alternative vision of education and the human person rooted in the gospel.

Values and Virtues Planning Documentation

Grateful and Generous

Attentive and Discerning

Compassionate and Loving

Faith-filled and Hopeful

Eloquent and Truthful

Learned and Wise

Curious and Active

Intentional and Prophetic

Good afternoon,

We’re excited to share with you 100 schools have now achieved the LiveSimply Award, congratulations on being an award-winning school!

A press release has been issued to celebrate the achievement of you all. You may find this article appearing in media local to you or in national media too.

https://cafod.org.uk/news/media/press-releases/100-schools-achieve-livesimply-award

The award is granted to schools who demonstrate they are living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the world’s poorest communities. In recent years the award has been developed to incorporate faith and learning with each action. Thousands of pupils, staff and the wider community have been involved in actions impacting their school community, their local community and our global community. The award brings to life Catholic Social Teaching and enables us to respond effectively to Laudato Si’.

Wishing you all the very best.

Kind regards

Siobhan Farnell

LiveSimply Award Schools Coordinator

 walk.cafod.org.uk